John Debney / Mel Gibson The Passion of the Christ
Released: February 24, 2004 Origination Year: 2004 Time: 48:08 Tracks: 15 Produced by: Mel Gibson Style: Studio Format: CD Enhancement: None Website: www.thepassionofthechrist.com

By now, every person in the civilized world has been crushed with the swirl of controversy that is The Passion of the Christ, the graphic depiction of the final 12 hours of Jesus. The Passion of the Christ is a most brutal, completely bloody, and awe-inspiring 2 hours of the worst that man can do to a fellow human being when given near carte blanche to inflict “punishment.” Dependant on which side you view the film, you’re likely to come away with a pro or con opinion. Regardless of your position on the film, all who view it agree on one thing. It’s a dark film filled with conviction.

One of the quality aspects of the film is found in its soundtrack. If you have seen the film, then you are aware of this John Debney production that permeates this motion picture and that is as dark as the storyline is. The music from this soundtrack is all encompassing and heightens the sense of the movie as it moves from event to event as soundtracks are meant to do. In this case, Debney has succeeded in not only producing the absorbing audio that is made all the more powerful due to the movie being subtitled thus removing the need for strong attention paid to the words being spoken but also a standalone collection that is enjoyed independently of the frightening visuals.

This soundtrack's sequencing follows the chronological chain of events as they unfold in the film by title. If you paid rapt attention to the film then you might be able to replay it in your mind by use of this body of music. Throughout this foreboding and softly distant album, the occasional chants and vocals invoke a Middle Eastern atmosphere, as well it should. Together, they make a mix that is alert and uneasy, lending greatly to the ambience of the film. As a point of reference, the music recalls the darker passages of the Braveheart soundtrack.

There are 15 tracks with titles announcing the parts of the film that they accompany. It begins in "The Olive Garden" where Jesus was arrested and ends with the "Resurrection". Between these titles are the soundtrack to such events as “Peter Denies Jesus”, a three-part piece, “Flagellation – Dark Choir – Disciples”; a poignant “Mary Goes to Jesus”; “Crucifixion”; and “Raising The Cross”. There are shades of Lisa Gerrard-styled vocals found in the Gladiator soundtrack strewn around this album.

The nuance of this album is befitting the subject matter of the film – dark, mysterious, sad. It is an achievement that is immediately noticeable and commanding yet communicating the pain and desolation that fills the movie. The spiritual aspects of "The Resurrection", catholic in sound via choir, is more enlightening of the event than the film’s visuals were.

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